Gender Representation Through Vocabulary Used By Women On Tiktok’s Caption
(1) Universitas Sumatera Utara
(2) Universitas Sumatera Utara
(3) Universitas Sumatera Utara
(4) Universitas Sumatera Utara
(*) Corresponding Author
Abstract
This study explores how gender is represented through vocabulary
used by women on TikTok’s Caption, with a specific focus on lexicon
related to femininity. The research is grounded in the sociolinguistic
assumption that language reflects and reinforces gender roles in
society. As digital spaces become central to self-representation,
women increasingly use specific words to construct their gendered
identities online. The research adopts a qualitative descriptive
method within a sociolinguistic framework. Data are collected from
TikTok captions that include words such as pregnancy, mommy,
maternity, give birth, breastfeeding, makeup, and wife, which are
typically associated with women and their roles. The analysis applies
Lakoff’s theory of women’s language, especially gender-specific
vocabulary. The findings indicate the vocabulary used is not neutral
but deeply embedded in cultural and biological representations of
women. Words like pregnant, mom, pumping, and motherhood
explicitly mark the speakers as female, while terms such as makeup,
eyelash extensions, and style my hair associate women with
appearance and beauty work. The presence of these lexical choices
highlights the social construction of femininity. Thus, the repeated use
of words that emphasize traditional female roles, particularly those
related to reproduction, caregiving, and appearance, linguistically
represents gender. These lexical patterns confirm the relevance of
Lakoff’s framework in analyzing modern gender expression through
language, especially in digital discourse.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Ambarwati, A., Halimah, Y., Nabila, Z., Setianingsih, N., & Nuriya, H.
(2023). Pendalaman Hipotesis Sapir-Whorf Dalam Bahasa, Budaya Dan Pemikiran Seorang Penutur. April.
Aniqurrohmah, S. F. L. (2023). Kesetaraan Gender Dan Nilai Nilai Yang Terkandung Di Dalamnya Menurut Hak Asasi Manusia. Jurnal Dunia Ilmu Hukum (JURDIKUM), 1(2), 50–56. https://doi.org/10.59435/jurdikum.v1i2.170
Ariyani, E. D., & Hadiani, D. (2019). Gender Differences in Students’
Interpersonal Communication. Responsible Education, Learning
and Teaching in Emerging Economies, 1(2), 67–74.
https://doi.org/10.26710/relate.v1i2.1125
Butler, J. (n.d.). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of
Identity (Routledge Classics Edition).
Butler, J. (2020). Bodily inscriptions, performative subversions.
Routledge International Handbook of Heterosexualities Studies,
–57. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429440731-3
Canale, G., & Furtado, V. (2021). Gender in EFL Education:Negotiating Textbook Discourse in the Classroom. Changing English: Studies in Culture and Education, 28(1), 58–71.
Coates, J. (2013). Women, Men and Language (Third Edit). Routledge
Taylor & Francis Group.
Creţu, I.-N. (2021). “Characteristics of Online Communication.
Advantages and Limitations.” SAECULUM, 52(2), 39–44.
https://doi.org/10.2478/saec-2021-0016
Dwi, E., & Watie, S. (2011). Komunikasi dan Media Sosial
(Communications and Social Media): Vol. III (Issue 1).
http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_sos
Fakih, M. (2008). Analisis dan Transformasi Sosial.
https://insistpress.com/katalog/analisis-gender-dantransformasi-sosial-edisi-2008/
Galano, M. M., & Graham-Bermann, S. A. (2016). Gender Analysis. In
The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies
(pp. 1–3). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118663219.wbegss057
Hamidati, A., Fajar, A., Ayu, D., Sari, D. K., Melisa, E., Junaedi, F., Luik, J.E., Santoso, H. P., Utari, P., Rahardjo, T., Darmastuti, R., &
Tambunan, S. R. (2011). Komunikasi 2.0: Teoritisasi dan Implikasi.
https://eprints.undip.ac.id/34497/1/Komunikasi_2.0.pdf
Harris, E., Lea, S., & Foster, D. (1995). The construction of gender: an
analysis of men’s talk on gender. In S. Afr. J. Psychol (Issue 3).
Kennedy, A. R., Bishu, S. G., & Heckler, N. (2020). Feminism,
Masculinity, and Active Representation: A Gender Analysis of
Representative Bureaucracy. Administration and Society, 52(7),
–1130. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399719888470
Krijnen, T., & Bauwel, S. Van. (2014). Gender and Media: Representing, Producing, Consuming. In Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
Lakoff, R. T. (2004). Language and Womans Place Text and
Commentaries (Studies in Language and Gender, 3) by Robin
Tolmach Lakoff (z-lib.org).pdf.
Lesmana, I. B. G. A. S., Udasmoro, W., & Hayuningsih, A. A. C. (2021).Konstruksi dan Kontestasi Kuasa Perempuan pada Naskah
Drama Les Bonnes Karya Jean Genet. Diglosia: Jurnal Kajian
Bahasa, Sastra, Dan Pengajarannya, 4(1), 65–78.
https://doi.org/10.30872/diglosia.v4i1.124
Livingston, B. A. (2019). 32 Gender , Gender Norms , and National
Culture : Global Work – Family at Multiple Levels of Analysis. 599–
McQuail, D. (2012). McQuail’s Mass Communication Theory (6th ed.).
Sage Publications. https://archive.org/details/mcquailsmasscomm0000mcqu_06e
d
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative Data
Analysis: A Methods Soucebook. In Sage (third edit). Sage.
Nugraha, D. D., & Prasetiyo, A. B. (2021). Karakteristik Fitur-Fitur
Kebahasaan Tokoh Laki-Laki Dan Perempuan Dalam Komik
Detektif Conan Edisi 28. NEOLOGIA: Jurnal Bahasa Dan Sastra
Rizka, H. (2018). Bahasa dan Gender dalam Film Kartun Go Diego Go
dan Dora the Explorer: Sebuah Kajian Sosiolinguistik. BUANA
GENDER : Jurnal Studi Gender Dan Anak, 2(2).
https://doi.org/10.22515/bg.v2i2.1013
Stoller, R. J. (1976). Sex and gender : on the development of masculinity and femininity.
https://archive.org/details/sexgenderondevel0000stol
Tannen, D. (1999). Women and Men in Conversation. The Workings of
Language: From Prescriptions to Perspectives, 211–215.
Van Zoonen, L. (2002). Gendering the internet: Claims, controversies
and cultures. European Journal of Communication, 17(1), 5–23.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0267323102017001605
Viana, V., & O’Boyle, A. (2023). Gender equality in English language
teaching practice: A resource book for teacher education. British
Council. https://doi.org/10.57884/YA01-7913
Watie, E. D. S. (2016). Komunikasi dan Media Sosial (Communications and Social Media). Jurnal The Messenger, 3(2), 69.
https://doi.org/10.26623/themessenger.v3i2.270
Winter, J., & Pauwels, A. (2005). Gender in the construction and
transmission of ethnolinguistic identities and language
maintenance in immigrant Australia. Australian Journal of
Linguistics, 25(1), 153–168. https://doi.org/10.1080/07268600500113708
Zakharova, U. S. (2014). Language Representation of the “Masculinity
/ Femininity” Cultural Dimension Gender Values in Russian and
English Phraseology. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences,
(October), 499–503. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.10.201
Zamarro, G., Perez-Arce, F., & Prados, M. J. (2020). Gender Differences in the Impact of COVID-19
Article Metrics
Abstract view : 0 timesPDF - 0 times
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2025 English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC) Proceedings
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Electronic ISSN: 2579-7263
CD-ROM ISSN: 2579-7549
Published by
FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH SEMARANG
Jl. Kedungmundu Raya No.18 Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia
Phone: +622476740295, email: ellic@unimus.ac.id
